New wold champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli says he was driven to disprove those who said he wasn’t ready for Formula 1.
Mercedes brought him up through the junior ranks quickly, skipping Formula 3 entirely and only spending a single season in Formula 2. Antonelli made his F1 debut last year, aged just 18, with Mercedes’ works F1 team rather than one of their customers.Antonelli’s first season did not go entirely smoothly. He endured a nine-round spell during which he failed to score on seven occasions.
However he was competitive right from the start of his second season and quickly overtook team mate George Russell in the championship. Antonelli clinched the title yesterday with four rounds to spare.
He said that had been a satisfying response to those who suggested he wasn’t ready for F1.
“It’s always good to shut off some of the noise,” said Antonelli. “I think in many ways it does help to add fuel to the fire, the fact that some people said that I didn’t belong in Formula 1 or I wasn’t ready for it.
“At some points last year, it probably looked like that I wasn’t ready for it. But I think last year, being able to experience those moments made me much more ready ahead of this year. Experiencing really low and difficult situations, high-pressure moments, really helped me to face certain situations this year, and definitely they made me mature a lot as a driver and as a person.”
Antonelli clinched the title with nine grand prix wins, the most of any driver. But he admits there was room for improvement in his performance. “I’ve had moments where I could have done better, a lot better. It’s just a constant learning process.
“But I think last year, being able to race [with] Mercedes, obviously [going] straight under the spotlight, made me grow much, much faster than if I would have gone to a smaller team, for example.”
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